New York, NY –Allouche Gallery presents Nick Georgiou’s Codex Chroma, a vibrant new collection of paper wall reliefs, exploring the unique life cycle of books as objects of art. Inspired by the formation of ancient codex manuscripts created by stacking pages and fixing one edge to a spine, Georgiou’s complex paper friezes layer color and character affixed to canvas and wood. 

The year 2019 marks a decade since Georgiou relocated to Tucson, Arizona from New York. Codex Chroma bookends a chapter in his life and work in which the polarities of light and dark have surfaced for intense examination. Delving into the mysteries of nature and life, Georgiou has made a study of the desert landscape, connecting the seen with unseen, tracing the light on the form, to penetrate the deeper insights of the natural world, illuminated in its extremes. 

He says: “As the triple digit heat approaches the Sonoran desert, a burst of color illuminates what is usually a monochromatic landscape, transforming it into a mosaic of hues. The color combinations are infinite as are the radical shapes that push through the earth. One strange cactus after another brings forth blooms that are alien and unimaginable. The observer stands transfixed and mesmerized by the odd beauty; it's sensory overload but in a way that entices a closer look.” 

The collection is comprised of discarded books that are cut, painted and meticulously positioned in works that range from figurative to abstract, and still life to portraiture